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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 October 2009

That’s what the film is about.  What makes it a little more confusing is the fact that it has been directed by Nicholas Jasenovec – the same name as the character in the movie.  Jasenovec doesn’t play himself though.  That honour goes to Jake M. Johnson.  However, Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up) and Michael Cera (Juno) ARE playing themselves.  Well, some sort of warped version anyway.  I honestly have no idea as to what’s real and what’s not.

This low-budget independent film is trying to be a little “too cool for school”.  You can tell that the cast had fun but it feels more like a school assignment than a full blown big-screen motion picture.  I found Charlyne Yi to be an incredibly annoying character and didn’t really care if she found love or not.  Sorry if I sound like a Grinch.

There are some positives to the film though and the interview scenes offer some insight into the mysteries of love.  There’s a nice scene where Yi speaks to a group involved with a wedding chapel in Vegas.  She also speaks to a couple who have been together for over 50 years.  This all felt a lot more honest than her own up-and-down romance.

I feel a little guilty giving Paper Heart the thumbs down because at least it’s trying to be original.  I’m also a fan of Michael Cera (despite the fact that he’s very one-dimensional).  Sadly, it lacks a decent storyline and comes across more as a silly novelty.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 October 2009

I was particularly interested in Whatever Works because of its main star – Larry David.  If you don’t know the name, David was a co-creator of the Seinfeld television show – one of the funniest programs to ever appear on the smaller screen.  He saved some of his best jokes for Curb Your Enthusiasm, another successful comedy which is now in its seventh season.  The guy knows how to find humour out of the most trivial of situations.

Many comparisons have been made between Larry David and Woody Allen and it’s no surprise to see them working together here.  David’s character is Boris Yellnikoff, an overly cynical guy who lives alone in New York City.  The first scene of the film sees Boris talking with his friends outside a café.  He’s arguing about anything he can think of.

One evening, he unwillingly finds himself involved in a conversation with a homeless girl outside his apartment building.  Her name is Melodie St. Ann Celestine (Wood) and she’s come to the Big Apple to escape her parents and find independence.  Boris wants nothing to do with her at first but he mellows when he hears her sob-story.  He allows her to stay with him for a few days.

They are polar opposites but their unique personalities start rubbing off on each other.  The naïve Melodie starts subscribing to Boris’s pessimistic life perspectives.  It’s funny because she doesn’t really understand half the stuff that she says.  Boris on the other hand, starts to find happiness.  He’s enjoys living with this vibrant young girl and the fact that she’s so open to his opinions.  It’s an odd relationship but hey… whatever works.

Things get a little too crazy in the later stages with the arrival of Melodie’s mother (Clarkson) and father (Begley Jr) but this still a likeable Woody Allen comedy.  If you like his style, you’re sure to get a few laughs from this.  All the cast are great – deliberately overplaying their roles for comedic effect.  Evan Rachel Wood is particularly good.

There’s a running gag throughout the film where Boris’s character talks to the audience through the camera.  I won’t say too much more but it’s a nice touch.  You’ll find out what I mean when you do what I suggest… and go see Whatever Works at a time and place that works for you.  Whatever.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 October 2009

When we see Jenny at the end of the film, she is a changed individual.  Within the space of a few months, she has been given “an education” on life.  Her eyes, her ears and her heart have all been opened to the exciting world which lies outside her front door.  Ah, but mistakes will be made and lessons will be learned.  In one of the film’s final scenes, she sums up her misadventures by saying that “I feel old, but not very wise.”

So what happened in between?  His name is David (Sarsgaard).  They first met on a rainy afternoon while Jenny was walking home from school.  Sharing a common interest for classical music, Jenny was transfixed by David’s charm and knowledge.  He was a well travelled man – far more interesting than the naïve, immature boys she knew from her neighbourhood.  She didn’t care that he was nearly twice her age.

Her parents did though… at first.  They didn’t want their innocent daughter being led astray by this wealthy playboy.  David wins them over though with his smooth sensibility.  He starts taking Jenny to concerts, to dinners, to auctions, to Paris!  She’s the envy of all her friends at school.  Things couldn’t be better and her studies take a back seat to this new, opulent existence.  Life isn’t that easy though and Jenny is about to learn some valuable lessons which cannot be taught in any school textbook.  They have to be experienced.

I’ve had the chance to see this film twice and I’ve also had the chance to meet the star of the film, Carey Mulligan.  At just 24 years of age, Mulligan is a gifted actress and a star to watch.  Her breakout performance here is tipped to earn her an Oscar nomination early next year.  It’s also opened a bunch of doors in Hollywood.  She’ll soon be seen in Wall Street 2 (opposite Shia LaBeouf) and in Brothers (with Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal).

Mulligan goes through every human emotion possible in An Education.  Just looking at her face, you’ll see a noticeable transformation as the film progresses.  She seems to have a touching one-on-one scene with almost every member of the cast.  My pick of the supporting players was Olivia Williams (Rushmore) who plays one of Jenny’s teachers.

The well-written screenplay has been penned by Nick Hornby, the author of such classics as High Fidelity and About A Boy.  However, this is the first time he has adapted another’s work for the big screen.  The tale is based on memoirs written by Lynn Barber, a British journalist who currently works for The Sunday Times.  I liked some of the film’s off-beat moments – they give it a little “edge”.  One involves a banana. 

Swedish director Lone Scherfig (Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself) has brought the whole package together with a soft touch – from the film score to the cinematography.  An Education won the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and it’s a big-hearted crowd pleaser which you absolutely must see.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 October 2009

Bliss is looking to break out from her dull, ordinary life.  She is looking for a way to express herself.  The answer… is roller derby.  She goes along to an exhibition match and instantly falls in love with the fun and excitement.  Bliss hasn’t skated since she was young girl but she dusts off her old Barbie skates and hits the streets.  She quickly realises her potential.  Bliss makes it through the team try-outs and gets a spot in the Hurl Scouts line up.

Her fresh life is veiled in secrecy however.  You have to be 21 years of age to be eligible to play and so a few white lies are necessary to her teammates.  Her parents know nothing about this either.  Bliss tells them that she’s taking extra classes at school to cover up her attendance at matches and training sessions.  Her new boyfriend is also kept the dark.  He doesn’t know her age either, or the fact that she still lives at home.

Trouble lies ahead but all Bliss cares about is the roller derby track.  Her team name is Babe Ruthless and every week, she smashes the opposition with fellow teammates such as Maggie Mayhem (Riig) and Smashley Simpson (Barrymore).  They’re all trying to beat the Holy Rollers, led by the self-absorbed Iron Maven (Lewis).

Central to this film is a delightful performance from Ellen Page.  You will remember her from Juno, my favourite film of 2008, but this a different character for her.  She’s a little shy, a little more reserved.  I think it’s an important role for Page and proves that she can play someone other than the sarcastic Juno MacGuff.

Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) is also terrific as Bliss’s mum.  It’s easy to over-play the role as the bossy mother but Harden is spot on.  She shows that such a character can have two sides.  Look, let’s face it - I liked all the actors in this film.  There’s plenty of nice one-on-ones and it avoids the “stiffness” that seems to burden so many American comedies.  The cast look like they were having fun on the set (judging from the closing credits) and that comes through on screen.

So how did they all become roller derby experts?  The answer is with a lot of training.  Ellen Page had to work the hardest but all the skating cast members went through a solid month of boot camp.  They’re pretty good too.  It’s cool to see them slipping past teammates at high speed, or jumping over an opponent who has crashed to the ground.

The special preview screening I attended was filled with members of Brisbane’s roller derby community.  They’d turned up wearing their own skates and colourful outfits.  I didn’t even realise we had teams in this city.  They seemed to enjoy the movie and maybe the craze will take off once again.

Whip It does follows a familiar Hollywood formula but I liked it anyway.  It’s often the little things that can differentiate a great movie from a so-so movie.  This won’t be winning any Oscars but it provided me with two hours of solid entertainment.  Let’s call it a guilty pleasure.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 October 2009

My self-indulgent introduction serves a purpose.  I want to point out that I had very high expectations walking into the theatre.  How could I not?  So the fact that I’m not a huge fan of this modern-day remake should be taken with a grain of salt… unless of course you too loved the 1980s television series (or even the 1960s series for cult followers).

The first half of the film introduces us to Astro Boy.  Well, he’s not known as Astro Boy just yet.  This name is Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore) and he’s an extremely intelligent kid who lives in the not-to-distant future.  His dad, Dr. Tenma (Cage) is one of the world’s leading robotic scientists and has helped create a wave of robots which has served man’s needs.

Sadly, Toby is killed in a tragic accident at the Ministry Of Science.  It’s an unbearable loss for Tenma and overcome by emotion, he designs and builds a robotic version of Toby.  He thinks that it’s help with his grief.  He gives the robot special powers so that he can never be harmed.  These powers include super-human strength and the ability to fly.

Tenma creates a perfect replica of his son but it’s just not the same.  He confides in his good friend, Dr. Elefun (Nighy) and decides that the robot should be destroyed.  He cannot play god.  Toby hears of his father’s plans and escapes before it is too late.  He is now a robot orphan with nowhere to go.

Just when everything appears hopeless, Toby will find his place in the world.  He makes a bunch of new friends and comes up with a new name – Astro Boy.  His services will be required if he’s to save his friends from an evil dictator (Sutherland) looking to send the world into complete chaos.  Go Astro!

I struggled with the first hour of the film and can see that writer-director David Bowers has marketed this at a young audience.  It’s very PG and easy to understand.  I enjoyed it a lot more once the action and adventure took hold in the final half-hour.  It’s reignited my interest to buy the original cartoons on DVD and take a trip down memory lane.

The film isn’t being released in the United States until next week and I do hope that it finds success at the box-office.  Despite my lukewarm review, I would like to see a sequel – a film which shows us what Astro is truly capable of.  He’ll defend us, he’ll defend us, the amazing Astro Boy!